Refrigerating apparatus



Oct. 20, 1931. L. M. KEIGHLEY REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 10l1926 v w .1 n MH] 3 3 3 .e lg f .Il 3 \\l 4. 3 4 .W .3 \\.40.M.0 .IK M n.n d w@ E nawamun u f.. ya u 4 .u .u f a L. z 2

mma/ufff Patented Oct. 20, 1931 yPATENT OFFICE .LLOYD CM. REIG-HEY, 0FDAYTON, OHIO,

ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

FRIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATINGAPPARATUS Application led November 10, 1926. Serial No. 147,551.

This invention relates to cooling unitsfor mechanical refrigerators, andmore particularly to cooling units which are adapted to be installed inrefrigerating cabinets of the household type. However, it is to beunderstood that the present invention may be adapted for largerrefrigerating cablnets of the commercial type.

The present invention includes among its 13 objects the provision of acooling unit of simple and economical construction, which will quicklycongeal or freeze substances which are placed withina freezingcompartment provided bythe unit, and which will effectively cool thefood compartment of the cabinet.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, whereln a preferred form of the present vinventlon 1s clearlyshown.

In the drawings:

' Y Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator cablnet with the doors openin order to show the food compartment and a cooling unit within acooling compartment;

` Fig. 2 is a view on a larger scale than F1 1, showing the front viewof the cooling unlt which is suspended within the cooling compartment ofa cabinet, the walls of which are shown in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the cooling unlt drawn to the same scaleas Fig. 2 and v Fig. 4 is a front view of a modified form of coolingunit.

Referring to the drawings, designates a refrigerator cabinet Whic shapedfood compartment 2l separated from a cooling compartment 22 by ahorizontal partition 23 and a vertical partition 24.` The partition 24is provided with a flue 25, admitting relatively warm air from the foodcompartment 21 to the cooling compartment 22; and the partition 23 isprovided with a i flue 26, admitting cooled air from the compartment 22to the compartment 2.1. The partition 23 supports a baile 27 whichprevents moisture, dripping from the cooling unit above, from enteringthe flue 26. The

provides an L- y.

baiile 27 directs such moisture upon the upper surface of the partition23, and this moisture is conducted away through a drain pipe 28.

The cooling unit located within the cooling compartment 22, includes aboiler or header 30 attached to the top wall of the cabinet by bracketmembers 31 and 32. Condensed refrigerant is conducted to the header 30from a compressor and condenser (not shown) through a pipe 33 and afitting 34. Refri erant is admitted from the iittin 34, as nee ed, by afloat-controlled valve not shown), of suitable construction, locatedwithin the header 30. Expanded refrigerant is conducted back to thecompressor through a fitting 35 and a pipe 36. The refrigeratingcompressor and condenser with which. the pipes 33 and 36 are connected,may be located outside of the cabinet, if desired, or may be placedwithin a machine compartment located below the food compartment 2l, saidcompartment having a removable front wall 37 provided with louvers 38.

Referring to Figs. l, 2 and 3, the header 30 is connected with dependingloops 40, of metal of good thermal conductivity, arranged in horizontalrows on each side of a freezing space 41 below the header. Each coollngunit provides what may be termed a freezin zone for quickly freezing orcongealing su stance and provides what may be termed a cooling zonewhich maintains the refrigerator at the desired temperature, not toocold for general refrigeration. The freezing zone, provided by theducts' 43, is nested within the outwardly lying cooling zone and therebyprotected from the warming effects rangement of the loops permit bendingthe loops transversely of the header so that the ducts 43 may beadjusted to fit snugly against the sides of the sleeves 44.

. sleeves from currents of warmer air.

The serpentine bends in the ducts 43 are so connected with the sleevesas to provide a relatively great area of thermal contact to obtain thequick freezing of the contents of the trays. The ducts 43 alsoprovidewalls of relatively great area which shield tpe operation, frostwill collect at a relatively rapid rate upon theducts 43 and thus pro!vide lan ice wall further isolating and insulating the freezing space.Thus the unit is operative to provide for rapid freezing whileeffectively cooling air which circulates adjacent the ducts 42. Evenunder conditions causing the ducts 42 to defrost subsantially during theidle periods of the refreigerating apparatus, some frost will remainupon the coils 43, owing to the relatively great area of these coilswhich is exposed to frosting.

In the form of invention shown in Fig. 4, the ducts42 and 43 are.. partsof loops l40ct which encircle the freezing space 41.

The bottom portions or yokes of the loops 40a provide additionalheat-absorbing surface; and those portions of these yoke portions belowthe bottom sleeve 44 will become frosted and thereby serve further to.

isolate the freezing space 41. f

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow. f

What is claimed is as follows: j l

1. A cooling unit for mechanicalA refrigerators comprising, an elongatedheader, and a plurality of ducts depending from the header, portions ofsaid ducts being adapted tov provide tortlous passages and'providingwalls of relatively great area which cooperate to provide a freezing zone, said portions comprising serpentine-looped duct members facingflatwise the freezing space, said ducts including portions substantiallyentirely exposed t'o air circulating adjacent the cooling unit. i 1

2. Acooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising, an elongatedheader, and

' a plurality of ducts depending from the header, portions of said ductsbeing adapted to provide tortuous passages and providing walls ofrelatively great area which cooperate to provide a freezing zone, saidportions being each provided with superposed, serpentine bends, saidducts including portions substantially entirely exposed to aircirculating adjacent the cooling unit.

3. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators adapted to be placed inthe path of medium to be cooled thereby, said cooling unit comprisingconduit means having portions spaced from one another to provide afreezing zone therebetween, one of said conduit means comprising a loophaving a vertically extending tortuous branch facing the freezing zoneflatwise, and having another branch lying outwardly of the freezing zonein the path of the circulating medium.

4. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerai tors adapted to be placed inthe path of the medium to be cooled thereby, said cooling unitcomprising heat exchange means having a portion constructed and arrangedto provide a freezing zone, and another portion formed to provide acooling zone, the material of said second mentioned portion beingvspaced from the first portion and lying in the wardly of the `freezingzone in the path of the circulating medium and so constructed andarranged as to provide a shield of heat `exchange material for shieldingthe freezing dium.

6. A coolingunit for mechanical 'refri erazone from the action of thecirculating metors adapted to be placed in the path o medium tto becooled thereby, said cooling -unit comprising duct loops, certainbranches of said loops being tortuous, certain Abranches cooperating toprovide a freezing zone lying longitudinally of the tortuous portions,and

medium and so constructed and arranged as for shielding the freezingzone from the action of the circulating medium.

7. A cooling unit for mechanical refri era- 'tors adapted to be pla-ccdin the path o medium to be cooled thereby, said cooling unit comprisinglduct loops, certain branches of said loops being arranged in spaced rowsand cooperate to 'provide a freezing zonesaid certain other brancheslying outwardly vof the freezing zone in the path of the circulating315- to provide a shield ofheat exchange material branches includingtortuous portions lying 'Y substantially in theplane of said rows, andcertain other branches lying outwardly of the freezing zone in the pathof the circulating medium and so constructed and arranged as to providea shield of heat exchange material for shielding the freezing zone fromthe action of the circulating medium.

8. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators adapted to be placed inthe path of medium to be cooled thereby, said cooling unit comprisingopposed duct loops, certain branches of said loops being tortuous,certain branches cooperating to provide a freezing zone between theopposed duct loops, and certain other branches lying outwardly of thefreezing zone in the path of the circulating medium and so constructedand arranged as to provide a shield of heat exchange material for-shielding the freezing zone from the aotion of the circulating medium.

9. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators adapted to be placed inthe path of medium to be cooled thereby, said cooling unit comprisingopposed duct loops, certain v branches of said loops being tortuous andcooperating to provide a freezing zone between the opposed duct loops,and certain other branches lying outwardly of the freezing zone in thepath of the circulating medium and so constructed and arranged as toprovide a shield of heat exchange material for shielding thefreezingizone from the action of the circulating medium.

10. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising a pluralityof conduits arranged in spaced relation to form rows of ducts, the ductsof a row including tortuous portions lying substantially in the plane ofthe row, said rows of ducts cooperating to provide a freezing zonetherebetween adapted A to receive a horizontally elongated ice tray.

11. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising a pluralityof tortuous conduits arranged in spaced relation to form rows of ducts,the tortuous portions of the ducts lying substantially in the planes ofthe rows and cooperating to provide a freezing zone therebetween adaptedto receive a horizontally elongated ice tray.

12. A cooling unit adapted to be placed in the path of cooling mediumfor cooling such medium, said cooling unit comprising a. plurality ofconduits arranged in spaced relation to form rows of ducts, the ducts ofa row including tortuo-us portions ylying substantially in the plane ofthe row, said rows of ducts cooperating to provide a freezing zonetherebetween, and heat exchange means in intimate thermal contact with arefrigerant, the material of said heat exchange means lying outwardly ofthe freezing zone and arranged t'o provide a shield of heat exchangematerial for shielding the freezing zone from the action of thecirculating medium.

In testimony whereof I hereto aix my signature.

LLOYD M. KEIGHILEY.

